Family bird's nightly trick goes viral

DENHAM SPRINGS, LA (WAFB) - This video of 8-year-old Abbigal Smith has gone viral. Before two out of the four family birds, Dunkin and Rukus, go to sleep every night they give every family member a good night kiss. Something they've done for 3 years.

"Families sometimes give each other a kiss before we go to bed. Our pets are our family so that's what we do. We just started giving them kisses goodnight," said Jessica Smith.

Smith said she posts videos of her pets all the time, Dunkin even has a Facebook page, so when she posted the video back in January she didn't expect their nightly ritual to go viral.

"We tell them it's night night and they know it's time to go. They just want to give everybody a kiss," she said.

These birds have been a part of the Smith family since they were a few weeks old and it only took about 5 months for them to start repeating around 58 phrases, but it wasn't easy.

"A lot of people think you can just get a bird and it's going to start talking but really you just have to spend the time with them in order for them to do it," said Smith.

But these loving birds do more than just hand out kisses. They sort of hold conversations and make grocery runs with the family.

"Usually people want to hold him, and pet him, and want him to talk, and take pictures with him, and they want to talk," she said.

And these birds walk around the house like they own it but they're not intimidated by the family dog Lilly and bearded dragon Lizzy the Lizard.

Smith said if you're thinking about becoming a bird parent, go for it - but do your homework.

"If you're interested in getting one. Take the time to research them first. Don't just run out and get a bird," she said.

RNN Staff

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